Green Eyes
by zsra187
Summary: 'Oh Casey, Casey, Casey. You wouldn't know sincerity unless it ran you over.' Oneshot.


Green Eyes

'I think I'm in love.'

It couldn't be. She lifted her head from the palm of her hand, gingerly moving her elbow from where it had been for the past couple of hours, perched on the edge of the library desk. There he was, standing in front of her, dishevelled hair and panting slightly, like he had run straight to the library to find her. He looked like Derek, but what just came out of his mouth? Certainly didn't sound like Derek.

Casey folded her arms on the desk. 'What?'

He rolled his eyes, pulled out the chair across from her and sat in it. 'In love Casey, in love. Jeez, I know you're going blind, what with the outfit you're wearing and everything, but I didn't realise you were going deaf as well.' He waited for her reaction. 'Well?'

He was in love. Her first reaction was to scoff. Seriously, who did he think he was kidding? She squinted her eyes, peering closer at him, taking in every once of his appearance, a million scenario's running through her head which might help explain his strange and completely out of character declaration of love. What was that film Max once forced her to sit through? The one where alien's took over the entire staff and student body of a school, where everyone still looked the same but their behaviour was just somehow….different? No, that couldn't be it. Maybe he had actually fallen in love? She entertained that thought for only a millisecond, banishing it quickly from her mind as nonsense. They'd only been at Queens for just over three weeks, and while she would put money on him probably having multiple girlfriends on his plate already, she was certain that the 'L word' was out of the equation. That left only one thing….

'Derek! Are you on drugs?' Although only a whisper, her exclamation was shrill, and like a dart, Casey threw her weight across the table to grab his face with both her hands and pull it toward her. Taking no notice of the alarmed looks other library resident's were throwing at her, and with no regards to any possible pain it might cause him, she pulled his eyelids back and examined his eyes.

Derek hissed, trying to pry his head out of Casey's iron grip. 'I kinda need these things to see, Case, so if you wouldn't mind being a little gentler.' Casey paid no notice to his exclamations, and was instead mumbling under her breath (_No redness, no dilated pupils…I wonder if the student heath center is allowed to do random drug testing?__**)**_so he repeated louder, 'Casey! You can let go of me now. I'm not on drugs.'

Reluctantly, Casey let go of his head, unsure of whether or not he was telling the truth. After all, statistics showed that over 60 percent of university students were exposed to marijuana within their freshman year, and she was well aware of the raucous reputation of the typical college party, some of which she was sure that Derek had already frequented. He must have sensed her hesitation, because he gave her a slightly pitying look. 'Really, Case? And totally risk my status as a Hockey God? I don't think so.'

'So you do have some sense after all? I was beginning to wonder,' she replied, as he settled back down into his seat. She waited for him to say anything else about this girl? _Well if he's not going to volunteer any more information, I'm certainly not going to ask_, she thought to herself. She quickly glanced up at him. She could practically feel the questions rising in her throat, itching to burst out of her mouth. _Please Casey, have some restraint._

But it was pointless. Trying to ignore Derek always was; she somehow always managed to get pulled into his antics. 'So who's the lucky lady?' she looked at him pointedly. 'And how's she recovering from the brain seizure she clearly had?'

Derek gave her a quick smile. 'I knew you wouldn't be able to resist. Her name's Audrey, she's blonde, on the cheerleading squad, small, but perfectly formed, and has a _more _than adequate…you know…' he grinned at her, and gestured towards his chest area, cupping his palms as though he were holding two very large water balloons.

Disgusted, and once again amazed at Derek's ability to reduce every appealing trait about the opposite sex down to their physical attributes, Casey made a sickened face and turned back to sorting her papers. 'Please. The only person you're in love with is yourself. You can't be serious.' But she was momentarily reminded of a certain blonde, green-eyed girl whose name began with 'S', to whom Derek was once particular attached. Those feelings had certainly been serious hadn't they? Serious enough for Derek to announce that he was moving to Vancouver, just to be with her. Try as she might, Casey had never managed to erase that particular memory from her brain.

'Oh Casey, Casey, Casey.' He leaned forward until has face came close to hers, his arms resting on the desk. 'You wouldn't know sincerity unless it ran you over.'

'Not if you were driving it.'

He grinned at her again. He was so near, but even though she felt her face heat up, (_God, did he really have to get so close? Hadn't he ever heard of personal boundaries, he couldn't just go getting really close to peoples faces like that!)_ But she kept her head down, and her eyes stuck firmly to the sheet of paper in front of her.

'Well I give it a week before she comes to her senses.'

Derek scoffed as he pushed his chair back, put his feet on the desk (ignoring Casey's indignant huff) and clasping his arms behind his head. 'Oh, I don't think so. I don't think you understand what a great little set-up I've got myself here.'

'Yeah, and how's that?'

'Okay. We were in the middle of…' He paused, and winked at her. 'You know.' Casey just stared blankly. A second later she grasped the meaning of his words, and she felt a swooping feeling in her stomach, as though she had just missed a step on the staircase. Oh, _that's_ what he was talking about. She felt her cheeks redden. Why did she have to act like such a twelve year old? Derek continued, unabashed. 'Well, we were getting down to business, when my stomach rumbled. So she leaves, and five minutes later, she comes back with a sandwich on a plate.' He let the chair legs fall back to the floor and he leant forward, his hands held out at his sides in a gesture of revelation, as though he were Einstein and had just discovered the theory of relativity. 'She's the perfect woman.'

Of course, it just figured that Derek's idea of a perfect woman would entail her being some sort of culinary genius. Not that it takes any kind of genius to make a sandwich. 'Well it sounds to me like she just set the feminist movement back about sixty years,' Casey retorted.

Derek rolled his eyes. 'God Casey, all you ever do is jabber on about the feminist movement. We get it, you're a lesbian. Can we move on?'

Her pen slammed down on the table. He had clearly touched a nerve. 'Just because I think that women deserve equal standing and opportunities with men and shouldn't be forced to perform menial and demeaning tasks that completely undermine their status as capable and intelligent human beings, it does not make me a lesbian!' Casey's cheeks were tinged with pink and her eyes flashed. Noticing the strange looks that she was receiving from other students, she lowered her voice to a whisper. 'And not that I actually care about whatever sexual orientation you think that I am, I happen to have gone out on a date two nights ago. With a guy,' she added triumphantly. 'A guy asked me out on a date.'

Derek paused, and looked at her. For a second he seemed to be completely lost for words, (_or maybe deep in thought…..no, that can't be it)_ before…

'Was it a dare?'

'And we're going out again this Friday night.' Casey continued slightly louder, as though she hadn't heard him. 'So your lesbian theory isn't correct, I'm afraid.'

'Whatever. It's only a matter of time before you scare away all available male options, Klutzilla.'

'The evening went perfectly well actually,' She retorted. 'In fact, I imagine that my blossoming romance with Benjamin will last substantially longer than any ass-grabbing free-for-all that you've arranged with your so-called girlfriend,' using finger quotes on the last word for added emphasis.

'Uh, there's no way that I'm losing out on this sweet situation I've found myself in, okay? I've got Amber wrapped around my little finger,' he said with a knowing smirk. 'It'll last.'

'Not if you get her name wrong. I thought you said it was Audrey?'

Derek dismissed her comment with a wave of his hand. 'Insignificant details, Case. Plus, I know how to treat the ladies. And with what I'm giving her? She'll keep coming back for more.'

Urgh. He could really make her wretch sometimes. 'What's that? Gonorrhoea?' _God, she was in a bitchy mood today. He must bring it out in her._

'Have you such a little opinion of me?' he waited a second for Casey to deny such an accusation, before he continued with an impressive air. 'I'm making her dinner.'

Casey was surprised. He was making her _dinner_? The Derek she knew wouldn't even share a slice of his pepperoni pizza with a girl, let alone cook her a whole meal! She didn't quite know how to respond to such a complete character transformation, so instead of retorting with another put-down, she just asked, slack-jawed, 'What are you cooking?'

'Mac and Cheese. Food of the Gods.'

'Wow…' Casey regained her senses. 'Mac and Cheese. I didn't know you were a trained chef,' she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

'Hey, I'll have you know I'm a great cook!' Derek defended. 'What can I say? Skills in the kitchen impress the ladies.'

'Well after a romantic night of burnt macaroni and cheese, and you falling asleep and drooling on her shoulder after watching the Hockey game, I'm sure she'll jump at the chance to become Derek Venturi's one and only.'

'You doubt me?' He actually looked affronted. 'You doubt my abilities as a ladies man? Fine, fine. What do you say we make this a little more interesting?'

'How so?' Casey's eyes narrowed with suspicion.

'Fifty bucks says that my 'ass-grabbing free for all' with Alison lasts longer than your romantic snooze-a-thon with Mister Boring.' His eyes gleamed. 'The first one to get dumped pays up.'

'You don't even have fifty dollars!' Casey scoffed. 'And how do I know you'll even own up if you get dumped?'

'Casey, I'm not going to _need_ fifty dollars. And I won't have to own up to getting dumped because it's never going to happen!' He waited for her answer, but was confronted only with her silence. 'What's the matter Case? You scared he'll realise what a whiny, uptight, grade-grubbing keener you are and dump you after only another date?'

'Fine!' Casey finally exclaimed. 'I'm going to partake in this ridiculous bet, but not because you've goaded me into it, and not because it'll be the easiest fifty bucks I'll ever make, but because of the immense pleasure I'm going to get knowing that while you're crying yourself to sleep _alone_, I'll be going out with a good looking, intelligent, sophisticated and interesting young man! …Who actually knows what my name is!'

Derek grinned at her as he rose out of his chair. 'You're on Klutzilla.'God, what she wouldn't give to wipe that smile off his face. As he passed her, he placed his hand on her shoulder, and leaned in. 'Better start saving.'

* * *

She was in the library again. Not that she didn't enjoy working, (because there was nothing more satisfying than coming home after a long day studying, and feeling as though you've accomplished something) but recently she'd started to feel as though she was a hermit, who lived in the library and only came up for air and food. Of course, there was her date with Benjamin. Dates, plural. She was right, they'd been perfectly pleasant. He had been polite, a real gentleman. He'd even pulled Casey's chair out for her at the restaurant. He was everything she'd ever wanted in a potential boyfriend. Of course, being with him was as dull as watching paint dry, but she wasn't about to admit that to anyone. She still had fifty dollars to win, she could handle a few more weeks.

Speaking of which, she wondered how Derek was handling his new-found girlfriend situation. She didn't like to admit it, but it had unnerved her when a week after their bet, she saw Derek walking around campus with a small blonde girl (who happened to have a particularly large chest, not that Casey cared about such things.) It looked like they were together, and she didn't want to lose fifty dollars! Besides, she had thought (with a slight venom that surprised her), what was so great about this girl anyway? She didn't look any differed than the usual type of girls Derek usually went for, and they never lasted long. Sure, she knew how to make a good sandwich, but who didn't? How about something that actually required brain cells?

It was the shadow that fell over her papers that suddenly interrupted her train of thought. She looked up to find him standing there as though he knew he'd been occupying her thoughts for the past hour or so (_Or the past two weeks…but she wasn't keeping count.)_

'Hello, Derek. Have you come to apologise for your gross arrogance and admit defeat?' she asked.

To her utter surprise, he coolly removed his hand from his pocket, and handed her a crisp fifty dollar bill. She was too shocked to even speak. She had no idea he would even think about such a gentlemanly display of graciousness. She just sat there, staring.

'Will you just take it before I start to seriously reconsider this?'

'She dumped you?'

'As if. I had to get rid of her.'

Ignoring this blatantly disgusting remark, Casey questioned, 'Where did you even get this money from? You're broke Derek!'

'A magician never tells his secrets, Case. Just take it.' He placed the money on the desk, and turned to walk away.

She couldn't help it, she was utterly shocked. Derek would rather die than lose a bet, especially to her. 'Why did you end it? Derek!' she called to his retreating back.

'I had to,' he called back. He turned to her, and grinned that insanely annoying, utterly beguiling smile. 'She hated Hockey.'

A/N: There are so many things wrong with this story. The idea has been done a million times before, the plot is aimless and isn't really going anywhere, the characterization is a bit off and so on and so forth. But I've been out of fanfiction for a long time, and haven't written anything in over a year, I just wanted to get something on paper again to get my creative juices flowing. Like it? Hate it? Think it's completely and utterly pointless? Please review. Ta!


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